In a significant update to the nation’s electoral schedule, Senegal has officially set March 24 as the date for its presidential election. This decision was communicated through a communique issued on Wednesday following a crucial meeting of the Council of Ministers.
The announcement comes after President Macky Sall, nearing the end of his second term and facing constitutional term limits, unexpectedly postponed the election by 10 months in early February. The initial delay, which pushed the election from its original date of February 25, sparked widespread chaos and triggered opposition-led protests throughout Senegal.
The postponement cast a cloud of uncertainty over the country, raising concerns about the state of democracy and governance. However, the intervention of Senegal’s highest election authority, the Constitutional Council, marked a turning point in the situation.
The Constitutional Council rejected President Sall’s decision to postpone the election and directed the government to promptly establish a new election date. Following a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, government spokesperson Abdou Karim Fofana announced in the communique that “The President of the Republic has set the date of the presidential election for Sunday, March 24, 2024.” Additionally, he informed the Prime Minister and ministers about the formation of a new Government.